All week, it had been difficult to get the group to talk.
They weren’t connecting well with each other or with the topics at camp. One
girl, Saci,* had especially closed herself off from the group, sitting guarded
with her arms crossed and seemingly disinterested in sharing, even though she
spoke great English. I wondered if she even wanted to be there.

As the week progressed, she remained uninterested, though
she showed a little more warmth by Thursday evening. On Friday night, we had a
local pastor come in and share his testimony. In the conversation group
following, we give the kids an opportunity to respond. We decided to split our
group into boys and girls, in hopes that this would make them more comfortable
in opening up.

We sat with our chairs in a circle. Saci sat a bit away
with her arms crossed. I shared my testimony and why I had come to camp and then
asked the girls what they thought of God. After a few minutes of sharing opinions
on faith and life struggles, Saci began to cry—a reaction that spread to the
other girls. She asked us, “Am I the only one that doesn’t want camp to end?”

I was so surprised. She shared with us that last year was
her first camp and that both then and now she had noticed how everyone was so
happy, joyful, and nice and that maybe she needed some of this Jesus in her
life. She wasn’t ready to make a decision, but she began to understand why she
needed Jesus.

By the end of the group session, Saci had pulled her chair
into our circle, and I was able to pray with the group and later with her
one-on-one. The camp is done, but our communication is not. As we continue our
conversation as pen pals, I look forward to helping her along her faith journey,
and I am thankful for the journey that God took me on that week as well.

~OMS Hungary Missionary

When you give to the OMS Global Impact Fund you are helping individuals like Saci to know Jesus and the transforming message of the Gospel.

Will you consider giving to the Global Impact Fund today?

Most
of us have never had to flee starvation and oppression in our homeland. Currently,
South Korea hosts about 30,000 defectors who have escaped North Korea in the
last 20 years or so since the famine of the 1990s. Most of them had never heard
of Christ while in North Korea, but during the process of passing through China
and other countries, many have now heard the Gospel. Some have become
Christians and even have been trained as pastors to reach out to their own
people, as well as to those around the world.

Adventures
in English for a United Korea (AIE4UK) started with a vision to help pastors
and young people who came from North Korea to be able to communicate with the church
around the world. It also helps prepare people domestically and internationally
for unification, raises up workers who can fill the basic need for English
education, and helps Christians from North Korea share their testimonies and
the Gospel in English to bring spiritual awakening and revival to the Western,
English-speaking church.

From July 17 - 19, 2017, we held our fourth year of camp at Seoul Theological
University with the theme “A New Thing” (Isaiah 43:18-19). Susan Truitt, OMS
missionary and English professor at Seoul Theological University, directed the
camp, and a team of eight native English speakers sent out from OMS served as
teachers.

This
year, 10 North Korean defectors participated in AIE4UK, so they were matched one
on one with the native English speakers from the United States. About half of
them were pastors serving in ministry in South Korea, and the other half were
young people preparing for their future. One activity they did together was
going to the Yanghwajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery to learn about some of the
early missionaries who came to Korea over 100 years ago and be challenged by
their lives of obedience and service. In the evenings we heard the testimonies
of some of those who had come from North Korea. It was a tearful time to hear
of how God has been faithful through all of the terrible suffering they had
gone through.

We believe that God has sent North Korean defectors to South Korea not only for
the unification of the Korean people but also so that through their living
testimonies of how God has guided and preserved their lives in the midst of
danger, they can be used as instruments to awaken Western, English-speaking
churches. We believe that if Christian North Korean defectors can share their
testimonies and the power of the Gospel in English without having to depend on
interpretation, God will use them in valuable ways.

For over 20 years, One Mission Society (OMS) in Korea has held Adventures in
English camps every summer with volunteer native English speakers. These
volunteers, devoted to God’s kingdom, raise their own money to participate.
Through AIE4UK, jointly sponsored by OMS Korea, the Prayer Network for North
Korea and the Nations (PN4N), and Sarangnaru, we hope that North Korean
defectors may be raised up in a wonderful way to serve as missionaries in cooperation
with OMS. The next AIE4UK is being planned for August 8-10, 2018.

Darina
was an outgoing engineering student at a technical university in Kyiv, Ukraine,
when we met her six years ago.

She
was applying for one of our English camps, which we offer every summer. Darina just
wanted to improve her English and have fun at the camp—which she did—but she
didn’t get involved in any of our follow-up activities, and we thought she
wasn’t really interested in God.

When
Darina applied for camp again the next year, we turned her down, choosing to
invite new people who might be more open to the Gospel. She was upset, and we
thought we’d never see her again.

But
a couple of years later, God brought Darina back. She joined one of our weekly
English clubs, and God began to work on her heart. We saw spiritual progress
and a greater openness to God, so we invited Darina to camp again in 2013. That’s
when she really understood the Gospel and made a decision to follow Jesus.

Darina
remembers sitting at the evening meeting near the end of camp week, listening
to a Gospel presentation—and when it came time to pray, she found herself
repeating the prayer without realizing it. When she caught herself praying, she
didn’t stop; she just knew it was right.

Since
that day, Darina has been growing dramatically.

She’ll
sit for hours talking about the Bible and her spiritual questions, and she’s
gotten involved in two of our weekly life groups (small group Bible studies), providing
key organizational leadership. She has a spiritual gift for pastoring and
regularly checks in with various group members to provide spiritual support.

Darina
is also active in helping newer believers grow spiritually and has discipled at
least three other girls who were saved through camp. She’s what we call an
active encourager in this ministry, committed to growing herself spiritually, as
well as helping others grow.

It’s
a goal of our ministry here in Kyiv to see God raise up many more Ukrainian
young people like Darina to become followers of Jesus who want to partner with him
in making more disciples. We’re pleased with the progress so far, but we know
there is much more God wants to do.

Like
Darina, many of the people in our life groups have been saved through our two
summer English camps. The camps are a great way for pre-Christian Ukrainians to
experience the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit over a
multi-day period, which allows God to soften their hearts to his Good News.

Team
members from North America, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia volunteer
just to love Ukrainians and to help them practice English with native English speakers,
but God also uses them to display and share the love of Jesus.

Most
Ukrainians say that at the end of camp their English has dramatically improved,
but most also say that they receive much more than English language skills.
Some, like Darina, even make decisions to follow God.

If
you would like to partner with us in reaching out to Ukrainian young people, pray
about joining one of our summer 2017 teams. You also can join our daily or
weekly prayer team, or you can help sponsor a Ukrainian to attend the camp. For
more information on how to give, visit https://onemissionsociety.org/give/Ukraine-English-Ministries.

It’s
always an adventure recruiting native English speakers and Ukrainian
participants for our two summer English camps in Ukraine.

We
never know exactly how God is going to work, but he always comes through with
the needed people.

For
example, in the spring of 2009, we were getting a lot of interest from
Ukrainian girls for camp, but we had only four American women signed up to come
in August—limiting the spots for Ukrainians to eight.

Our
camps are set up for a one to two ratio of native speakers to
Ukrainians—allowing each Ukrainian to live in a room with a native speaker and
increasing the potential for relationship building, language practice, and
spiritual impact.

We
had two Ukrainian girls we really wanted to invite—feeling confident they were
spiritually ready, but we didn’t have the space.

So,
we sent out a last-minute appeal via email for more North American or British
women … and then, we prayed. One woman from Colorado opened her messages, and
the appeal for more women volunteers leaped out at her. She sensed in her
spirit an immediate call from God to go to camp.

It
was late for her to join the team and to raise the funds, but God provided, and
she came. God used her powerfully too, as one of her Ukrainian partners prayed
to accept the Lord.

We
always start recruiting our summer teams at the end of the camps the previous
year because so many of the team members have been moved by the Spirit and have
seen him work through them. They’re ripe and ready to come back.

We
have many who come back year after year, they love it so much. “It’s the
greatest two weeks of my year,” said a Kansas farmer after his fifth time at
camp last year.

Jennifer
Schreckengast, a caregiver for the elderly in Colorado, loved her first time at
camp last year. And she’s signed up to join us again in August. “This has
brought me closer to God,” she said. “To see his love be shown to others—it’s
amazing!

“This
camp changes everything I thought I knew about missions,” she added. “The
disappointment I feel that I must leave. It’s like cutting a cord that is in my
heart to Ukraine. It won’t stop me from coming back.”

These
camps are a great way to show and share with pre-Christian Ukrainians what it
means to live in relationship with Jesus Christ. Most of these Ukrainians come
to the camp because they want to practice their English, but by the end, most
of them have become quite interested in God and the Bible, and some even make
commitments to follow Jesus.

Thankfully,
God has provided full teams for our two camps this summer, but we are always
looking for more people—especially for next year! If you have an interest in
learning more, contact our Mobilization team at go@onemissionsociety.org for more
information.

Although
Ukraine has a long history of Christianity, 70 years of Soviet atheism and the
recent influence of post-Christian Europe have made it a country with an
interesting mix of spiritual interests.

Many
grandmothers here still hold to the traditional Christian faith—often visiting
the Orthodox church services with its candles, painted icons of the saints and
sing-song liturgy in an old form of Russian.

Many
middle-aged people, meanwhile, remember their scientific Soviet education and
don’t put much stock in the teaching about a Creator.

But
many young people have spiritual interest—some lightly holding to the
traditional Christian faith, while others are trying out Eastern religious
practices in search of deeper spiritual meaning or seeking an identity in an
ancient pagan religion from Ukraine’s past.

This
is where OMS has been led to invest its efforts in evangelism and church planting
among the more spiritually open young people.

The
OMS team in Kyiv (Kiev) has been working among university students and young
adults, seeking to make disciples who want to gather in small groups called
Life Groups and to reach out to friends and family with the Good News of Jesus
Christ.

It’s
an exciting adventure, and it’s been a joy to see God raise up young leaders
called Encouragers, who have taken responsibility to lead Life Groups, to share
with their friends about Jesus, and to help organize special outreach events at
Christmas and Easter.

But
the biggest evangelistic event of the year is our English camp ministry. We
recruit teams of native English speakers from North America, the United
Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand to help lead the camps. And then we invite
pre-Christian, but English-speaking, Ukrainian university students to participate.

Camps
are a great way to see God work through ordinary Christian people who come
together to just show the love of God.

We’ve
had farmers, cell phone store managers, school teachers, small business owners,
pastors, university students, architects, veterinarians and many others
participate as teachers in our camps each summer, and God has used them
powerfully.

They
didn’t have to speak Russian or Ukrainian. They didn’t have to be theologically
trained experts. They didn’t even have to know the ins and outs of English
grammar. They just needed to be in love with Jesus and willing to let him love
Ukrainians through them.

And
he does. One of the most common student responses we get at the end of our
camps is how much the Ukrainian students loved the atmosphere of the camp.

“I
loved the busy schedule and the great atmosphere of cheer and faith,” wrote
17-year-old Sasha at the end of the 2014 camp. “I loved everything, but maybe
10 days isn’t enough!”

Lola,
also 17, agreed. “Our sincere talks with some people were better than anything.
I felt a lot of pain inside, but such amazing people here helped me to overcome
all the bad feelings inside of me.”

On
the last night of one recent camp, one girl stood up at the final banquet and
said that she came to camp empty in her soul, but she said her time at camp had
changed her. She said Jesus had filled her heart, and she was going away full.

But
Ukrainians aren’t the only ones who are changed—so are the native speakers who
come to help lead the camp.

“This
was an amazing experience, and it helped me grow closer to God as well as to
make many new friends,” wrote a bank teller from southwestern Nebraska.

“It’s
an awesome way to minister to others!” wrote a university student from
Pennsylvania.

“I
learned a lot from the entire experience, and my faith has definitely grown as
a result of the camp,” wrote a businesswoman from New Zealand. “This is one of
the best (if not the best) camp I have been to.”

We
have a few spots for women left at our two camps this summer if you would be
interested in joining. Or you could start planning for next summer. It’s a
great opportunity to stretch yourself and to grow in your relationship with
God. Not to mention that it’s a lot of fun!

And
if you can’t come to the camp, don’t worry. You can pray. We need more prayer
warriors for Ukraine and financial gifts for the camper scholarship are always
welcome.

Olya,
a 24-year-old graduate of the Linguistics University in Kiev, Ukraine, was so
shy, she would barely mouth a word during our weekly Life Group meetings.

She
was content to just sit and listen and think.

Sometimes,
when we called on her, she would say some significant things, but she preferred
not to talk much. Her quiet personality led her to feel rejected by some
classmates during her school years, and that might have contributed to her
reserved behavior.

Although
she had made a decision to follow Jesus at one of our 2013 summer English camps
and started attending a Life Group faithfully, she didn’t really grow
significantly until one of the 2014 camps. We invited her to help reach out to
new students, but God reached out to her.

“I
understood what it means to live with Jesus and to follow him,” she wrote after
camp. “I want to change my life totally. Not to be afraid to leave my old life
and habits and to be brave enough.”

Now
Olya is growing significantly. She has even led the Bible discussion at one of
our weekly Life Groups a number of times. She is a thinker and not afraid to
ponder questions deeply. She still doesn’t talk a lot in Life Group, but when
she does, she usually shares a powerful idea or asks a significant question.

Olya
still is learning boldness, but God is changing her. She recently shared how
she felt the Spirit prompting her to challenge her pre-Christian brother about
some disrespectful comments toward their parents.

He
responded not with anger, but remorse—expressing that he feels helpless to stop
his behavior. And he asked Olya for help—opening the door for deeper spiritual
conversations.

Olya
is just one of many Ukrainian young people who have been touched by the Spirit
through the English camp ministry in Ukraine. We’ve been privileged to organize
20 camps in Ukraine since 1994.

A
goal of our camps is not to teach English—but to help students who already
speak English get lots of practice with native speakers. That’s why we invite
teams of 10 to 15 native English speakers from North America, the United
Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

But
our main goal is to place pre-Christian university students in a camp
atmosphere with a group of vibrant, Jesus-loving Christians. And the students
usually experience a love and acceptance that they’ve never felt before. It
forces them to deeply consider the claims of Jesus and the Bible—most for the
first time ever.

It’s
always amazing to see students who come to camp with an ambivalence toward
Christianity and the Bible join so enthusiastically in the worship by the end
of camp. The Spirit of God and the love of Jesus have a powerful transforming
influence.

Overwhelmed.
Overjoyed. Overexcited. All of the emotions that we experienced as our family
of 5 stepped off of that airplane in Budapest, Hungary, to share in the
indescribable ongoing work that God called us to be a part of last summer. Quickly,
we realized that in an unfamiliar culture and place, with perfect strangers, we
had one common bond. One like mind. One Mission as we call it.

Perceptions
fall away as you realize that God has prepared you for a time just as this. Each
of us is given a set of unique talents, gifts, and resources. Just as 1 Corinthians
1:12 talks about a body with many parts, each doing its function, we saw the
body of Christ come together in Hungary.

Each
person, clearly ordained for specific purpose, fulfilled their role as the
weeks rolled on and opportunities arose. Career missionaries, short-term
missionaries, volunteers, various denominations, and churches all working
together. Everyone combining their resources to minister through the English
Camp, Roma Camp, and outreach projects to the Syrian refugees. A true example
of the church.

The
team in Hungary is continuing the next step of faith by building a literal
place of connection through the new Transformational Ministry Center in the 14th
district of Budapest. A physical structure for the body to work and grow for
the glory of God. To train, disciple, make connections, build relationships,
form partnerships with fellow believers, and transform lives for Christ.

God
calls each of us to be used by him for him. How would he have you to become a
part in sharing in the next step in building his kingdom in Hungary?

“Before camp, I could believe in God, now I can trust in him.” It is comments like this that really make camp, or indeed any mission trip, either short- or long-term, worthwhile. There is nothing greater than seeing a soul come to know the Lord and deciding to follow him in their daily lives.

Before a student can get to this point, those initial barriers between God and themselves must be broken down. Some of these barriers usually come in the form of unanswered questions, which the students are eager to have answered before they make a decision to follow Christ. However, before they can get the answers they desire, they need to build up a sense of trust with their teachers (English speaking short termers). One way in which this is carried out is by giving the students the opportunity to take part in a range of different activities, both indoor and outdoor, which encourages interaction between students and teachers. The activities also give them the chance to improve their language skills, which is one of the main goals of camp. As a direct result, the students will then begin to open up, which is vital if we as teachers are to fulfill our ultimate goal, which is to make the students think about the true meaning of life and to expose them to the reality of the Gospel.

To demonstrate the power of God’s saving grace at camp, I want to tell you the story of one student who came to camp this year. The quote at the beginning is taken from an interview with her post-camp. Similar to most of the students, Stasy (pictured on left in photo) came from a Ukrainian Orthodox family where God is primarily viewed as a mystical being, who is beyond human comprehension and any type of personal relationship. As Christians, we know that it is sometimes hard to comprehend who God is, but we know that it is possible to have a personal relationship with him. Throughout camp, Stasy found it really hard to open up and trust others, let alone God. However, with the unique family atmosphere and the loving atmosphere that existed at camp, which we can only ascribe to God himself, by the end of the 10 days these barriers had been broken down and Stasy had opened her heart to others, and more importantly to God. The transformation was so evident in her life, and the desire to walk with God and to read his Word was so real.

This story is only one of many that demonstrate how God is clearly moving throughout this city of Kiev and the country of Ukraine. It is because of stories like this that many of us keep returning to Ukraine and continue to serve God in our local context as we know that he has the power to change lives. It is my desire that others might experience this feeling and want to serve him.

Is God calling you to be a worker, either on the front lines or in a support role? View all of the opportunities how God may use you to be a missionary. You can even register to serve in Ukraine next summer for an English camp. Contact Brent Morrell at 317.888.3333, ext. 391 or bmorrell@onemissionsociety.org for more information.

We hope you enjoyed last night's (Sunday, Sept. 22) One Mission Stories, OMS' radio program, featuring Randy Marshall, OMS missionary serving in Ukraine, along with his wife Shelley and his three kids.

It's exciting to share the stories of what God is doing around the world of OMS.

Here are our "After the Show" resources to better connect you with things you heard about on the program last night.

Do you want to participate in next summer's short-term English camp as a English teach, friend and mentor? It's not too early to sign up. Perhaps you were moved to pray for Randy and the other OMS Ukraine missionaries. If so, we can get you signed up to receive weekly requests by email. We are looking for 1,000 intercessors! Email us at info@onemissionsociety.org and just put Ukraine prayer in the subject line.

Would you like to help get a Ukrainian student to camp next summer? A gift of $50 will offer a subsidized scholarship for one student. Just type account #301620 in the blank.

Finally, do you want to learn some more fun facts about Ukraine? Through our One Mission Kids ministry, we have created a virtual tour of the country, especially for kids.

Have fun exploring and please tune in to next week's One Mission Stories to hear OMS' executive director of international ministries, Randy Spacht talk about his current role and his 17 years in Colombia.

If you have any questions, you can email us at radio@onemissionsociety.org.